


looking through the window // ben mason

by razorbackmason



Category: Falling Skies
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Anorexia, F/M, Falling Skies Pre-Invasion, Short, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 03:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4505925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/razorbackmason/pseuds/razorbackmason
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ben mason likes to look outside his bedroom window, and list what he sees. looking back through the pages, they seem to talk a lot about the girl next door. // looking through the window copyright razorbackmason 2015, All Rights Reserved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Night, 11pm

**Author's Note:**

> This short story is set before the alien invasion in Falling Skies, where everything is fine and normal with the world. I've put in the tags a few things that could agitate some readers, so, be advised that if you get triggered by abuse, anorexia or suicide attempts, then, you do not have to read this story. 
> 
> Thank you for understanding.
> 
> xo Sadie

Looking through the window, this is what I see.

I see the moon illuminating our backyard, casting a white-ish glow on Matt’s treehouse. I see Hal’s lacrosse set that he has yet to put away, he’ll probably do it tomorrow - or, like he usually does, he’ll make me do it.

I see the stars in the sky, not that many but there’s still a few. Four or five, twinkling in the sky, striking against such a dark, bleak canvas.

I see a light on, in the house next door. I see shut blinds, and the shadow of a girl, and the shadow of a man. This man is holding the girl’s arm, his other hand balled into a fist and high in the air. The man’s fist comes down, raises again, back down again. He shakes this girl by the shoulders, and I hear faint yelling.

The man then leaves, and the girl is left alone. She stands there for a while. I can hear very faint crying.

Eventually, the girl leaves my view. The light turns off, and I see nothing from that house.

“Lights out, Ben.”

I see my Dad poke his head around my bedroom door, smiling slightly at me. I give my reply, and he turns out my bedroom light.

I see nothing.

 


	2. Day, 5pm

Looking through the window, this is what I see.

I see Hal and Matt playing in the yard. Hal’s chasing Matt around the garden, Matt shrieking with delight. Matt occasionally teases him, yelling about how Hal won’t catch him. Hal eventually does, tackling Matt and pushing him to the ground. They both erupt into laughter.

It looks fun. I want to join, but, they probably wouldn’t let me.

I see the blinds are open next door. A girl sits by the window. Her hair is red, her skin fair and pale. She looks beautiful, and mysterious. I’ve never seen her before now.

Her headphones are in as her head is ducked down. She’s writing something. I wonder what. I also wonder what she’s listening to.

“You can’t get me, Hal!”

Matt and Hal seem to have started the chasing again. Matt’s climbed the tree, laughing at Hal from the comfort of his treehouse.

“No fair! That’s cheating!”

Hal jumps from down below, trying to get to Matt. I don’t understand why he doesn’t just climb the ladder to the treehouse. Although, I do kind of know.

First, to have Matt have his fun of not being caught.

Second, to spare Mom the worry of Hal having Matt fall from the tree.

And, third, to spare Dad the worry of Hal falling from the tree and injuring himself. Hal does seem to be Dad’s favourite son, after all. Star lacrosse player, and all.

“Ben! Dinner’s ready!”

Mom calls up the stairs, and I smell fresh vegetables from the kitchen downstairs. Another salad, I was guessing. Well, it was summer. It was hot, and usually Mom never sees the point in cooking hot food in very hot weather, which explains why we never really have barbeques anymore.

I turn back to see if the girl is still there, she is not.

“Ben! Dinner!”

“I’m coming!”

I go down for dinner.

 


	3. Night, Midnight

Looking out the window, this is what I see.

A dampened lawn. Raindrops on my window. It suddenly started raining, not too long ago. Dad said that would happen, since hot weather and humidity equals rain. I occasionally see a lightning strike light up the sky. I’m sure Matt is freaking out right now, he’s not that big of a fan of thunder and lightning.

The light is on next door, the blinds are shut, and I see the shadow of a girl. The girl, from earlier. She sits on her bed - at least, I assume it’s her bed - with her knees to her chest. At least, it looks like it. I can’t quite decipher it exactly, she sort of looks like this massive blob.

She sits there for a little while, her body shaking. I think she’s crying again. I wonder what happened. Was it from that man again? Was that her dad? Did he hit her?

“Ben, turn out your light! You know how Mom gets when we’re up late on a school night!”

Hal hisses at me, before turning out my light. I’m immersed in darkness. Thankfully, I have a torch. I look out the window again, at the shadow next door. It remains there for a while, before the light is turned out.

My torch, sadly, runs out of battery fast, and I see nothing but the darkness around me.

 


	4. Day, 4pm

Looking out the window, this is what I see.

Matt speeds into the garden, Hal running after him. I guess they’re chasing each other again. Matt climbs the tree to the treehouse. Mom hates when he does that, especially when Matt hasn’t changed out of his school uniform. She’s going to have to deal with washing out the muddy stains later.

I look into the house next door. The girl’s home from school, my school. I still don’t know her name though, I never really see her around, and she’s in none of my classes. She’s in Hal’s though, but, the only names I hear from him are _Freak_ or worse, _Saddo_.

She gets out of the uniform, top half first, then the bottom half. I feel weird watching her change, yet, I can’t turn away. I focus on her, feeling sorry after what I see.

She’s thin. Not like the girls at our school, no. She’s really thin. I can see her ribcage through her white vest. I shouldn’t be seeing that. Not because it’s creepy and paedoish, but, because that means something’s really wrong with her.

Scars litter her arms, in varying shades and colours. Some a bright red, others a deep red, some crimson, and the dried ones a light brown. I don’t see them for long, though. She covers them with a long sleeved top.

“What’re ya doing, Benji?”

I see Hal leaning against my bedroom door.

“Nothing.”

“Looking out the window again, huh?” I see Hal walking over to me. He ruffles my hair, looking out the window.

“So what if I am?”

“Oh, looking at the girl next door, are you? Watching her change?” A grin forms on his lips.

“Shut up, Hal.”

“Kinda creepy, don’t you think? Are you stalking her or something?” He chuckles. “What, do you get hard over watching her change? Does it get those nerdy little juices flowing?”

“No!”

“I don’t see why you would. She’s a freak anyway. A stupid, emo, cutter freak.” He laughs again.

“Hal, shut-”

“Heh, I guess you two would go together. Be freaks together, forever, eh, Benji?” He once again ruffles my hair.

“Hal, stop it!”

“So easy! But, yeah. Mom says she’s doing a laundry run. Grab anything dirty and put it in the hamper downstairs.”

“Fine. Can you leave now?”

“Yeah, yeah, fine.” For a final time, he ruffles my hair, before turning to leave.

Once Hal finally leaves, and I turn back to the window. The girl’s not there anymore.

I guess I should do my laundry.

 


	5. Night, 10pm

Looking out the window, this is what I see.

The same old moon, same old stars. Same old garden, with Hal still not putting away his lacrosse stuff. I’m going to have to do that later, I’m sure.

Next door, the blinds are shut like they always are this time of night. The light is on, like it always is on this time of night. Same old shadow of the girl next door, but, it’s being very strange, not like the other times I’ve seen it, or her.

She’s kind of floating, in a really weird position too. Her body hangs forward slightly, her arms by her sides. She looks like a doll, when you hold it in the air by its hair.

I then notice something else. The shadow of a rope is connected to her, going upwards. I only then realise what’s going on.

Oh, shit. Crap. No. No.

I whisper profanities as I grab my phone from the table. I see the light of my phone screen as I unlock it, I see three numbers on the screen as I punch them in. I look back at the shadow of the girl, which is still there. I bite my lip nervously, as I hear a voice.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

 


	6. Day, 7am (final chapter)

Looking out the window, this is what I see.

An orange sky, which makes our empty, plain garden look kind of beautiful. The lacrosse stuff is still there - obviously, it’s not like it magically moved overnight. I’ll pick them up, later.

I hear faint tweeting from the birds, as they wake up slowly. The sun, like the birds, slowly wakes up, and I squint my eyes as the sun shines onto my face.

Next door, I can’t see the girl anymore. I haven’t seen her, not since what happened. But, at least she’s safe now.

“I get to shower first!”

I hear Hal yell, and I can hear him run down the hall.

“No, I do! C’mon, I’m the youngest!”

That’s Matt yelling now.

“I was born first!” Hal yells, and I can sense him folding his arms over his chest.

“I take less time to shower!” Matt protests, and I can imagine him stomp his foot.

“Those are both very good reasons, boys, but, I think you’ll find mine’s better. I’m a girl. Ladies first, remember?”

I haven’t seen the girl, not since what happened. Not from next door anyways.

Now, if I ever want to see her, all I have to do is go down the hall.

 


End file.
